Tape cutting device



Jan. 17, 1956 R, BURNS 2,731,084

TAPE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 4. 1953 1N VEN TOR.

7?. BUR/VS United States Patent TAPE CUTTING DEVICE Harvey R. Burns,North Royalton, Ohio Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,234

6 Claims. (Cl. 164-36) This invention relates in general to tape cuttingdevices for cutting strips of tape from adhesive tape in roll form, i.e., adhesive tape wound in roll form around an annular core as customaryfor masking tape, bandage tape, insulating tape, etc., and, moreparticularly, to tape cutting devices suitable for larger sizes of taperolls which, for economic and practical reasons, must be handled and cutby a user when applying the tape.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a new anduseful tape cutting device which is constructed to be slidably supportedon a tape roll to permit unwinding of the desired length of tape, thedevice embodying an outer member straddling the tape roll and mounting acutting knife in slidable self-sharpening contact with the outermosttape convolution of the tape roll and an inner member coupled with theouter member and including an adjustably supported sliding shoeyieldingly shifted into sliding engagement with the inner periphery ofthe core of the tape roll.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tape cuttingdevice of the type referred to above, in which the outer member is ofU-shaped form, in which the cutting knife is attached to the web portionof the U shaped outer member in parallel relation with respect to suchweb portion, and in which the cutting knife extends between and contactsthe opposite flanges of the outer member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tape cuttingdevice of the type referred to above, in which the cutting knife isarranged within the confines of the U-shaped outer member and includesat its front portion an undercut cutting edge to facilitateself-sharpening of the cutting knife when sliding upon the outermosttape convolution of a tape roll and at its rear portion a lifter edge tofacilitate lifting of the end of the tape roll prior to unwindingtherefrom a strip to be applied.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a tape cuttingdevice of the type referred to above, in which the cutting knifeincludes tape slitting means vertically shiftably extended through saidknife to be selectively shifted into and out of operating position.

The above and other inherent objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhich, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, will discloseto those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation ofa preferred exemplified form of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side-view of a tape cutting device embodying the invention,the device being mounted on a roll of tape and illustrating the positionof the cutting knife effecting proper cutting of the inner end of anunwound length of tape;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through Fig. 1, the section being taken online 22 of said figure;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer member of the tape cuttingdevice in disassembled condition with the individual elements shown inco-related position with respect to each other;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner member of the tape cuttingdevice; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the cutting knife.

Referring now more particularly to the exemplified form of the inventionshown in the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates a tape cuttingdevice adapted for use in connection with a roll of tape 3 to serve as amedium for cutting unwound lengths of tape 4 from such roll. This tapecutting device embodies an outer member 5 constructed to straddle taperoll 3 and an inner member 6 removably coupled with outer member 5 andconstructed to extend within tubular core 7 of tape roll 3 and slidablyengage the inner periphery of such core.

The outer member 5 of tape cutting device 2 is substantially U-shapedand extends its middle or web portion 8 crosswise of tape roll 3straddled thereby to position the opposite flanges or legs 9 of suchmember at opposite sides of the tape roll (see Figs. 1 and 2). Inaddition, outer member 5 has its flanges or legs 9 provided'withvertical slots 10 for a purpose later to be described and mounts acutting knife 11 attached to the inner face of web portion 8 by screwmembers 12 threadedly engaged with threaded bores 14 in the cuttingknife 11 arranged parallel to web portion 8 and of substantially thesame width as such web portion. Cutting knife 11 engages with itsopposite ends 15 the inner walls 16 of legs 9 and is formed at its frontportion 17 with an undercut straight cutting edge 18 extended over theentire length of the cutting knife and at its rear portion 19 with astraight tapelifting edge portion 20, also extended over the entirelength of such cutting knife.

The inner member 6 of tape cutting device 2 includes an arcuate shoe 21adapted to slidably contact the inner periphery of the tubular tape core7 of tape roll 3 to be cut, which shoe is curved upon a radiussubstantially that of the inside diameter of the tape core. Arcuate shoe21 includes at opposed sides cut-outs 22 for legs 9 of outer member 5and has downwardly extended therefrom a screw rod 23, the upper end 24of which is attached to central portion 25 of the shoe by welding orriveting. Screw rod 23 mounts on its threaded portion 26 a nut member 27threadedly engaged with the rod so as to be axially shifted when rotatedand has its free end 28 freely shiftably extended through a bore 29 inan elongated bracket member 30 provided at its opposite ends withdownwardly extended finger portions 31. In addition, screw rod 23 freelyshiftably supports a soft compression spring 32 which is sleeved uponsaid rod between nut member 27 and bracket member 30, preferablynon-removably coupled with screw rod 23 by upsetting same at its freeend 28. The tape cutting device is mounted on tape roll 3 by firstplacing outer member 5 in straddling position upon such tape roll andinner member 6 into tubular core 7 of such roll while aligning legs 9 ofthe outer member 5 with cutouts 22 in arcuate shoe 21, then coupling theouter and inner members with each other by extending finger portions 31of bracket member 30 through opposed vertical slots in in legs 9 andshifting such bracket member downwardly to engage end portions 33 of itsfinger portions with outer walls 34 of legs 9 and, finally, shiftingcutting knife 11 of outer member 5 into yielding contact with theoutermost tape convolution of the roll and arcuate shoe 21 of the innermember 6 into yielding contact with the inner periphery of the tubularcore of the roll.

In this mounting procedure, shifting of arcuate shoe 21 into contactwith the inner periphery of the tubular core of the tape roll iseifected by nut members 27 when axially rotated to move away from suchshoe, as the nut member is seated on compression spring 32 and as shoe21 and its supporting screw rod 23 are free to move until such shoecontacts with the inner periphery of the tubular core. Further shiftingof arcuate shoe 21 in the manner described, after its contact with theinner periphery of the tubular core of the tape roll, forces sucharcuate shoe and cutting knife 11 of outer member into the desiredpreterminable pressure contact with such inner periphery and theoutermost tape convolution of the tape roll and thus provides a simpleand efficient means to properly control the cutting operations of thedevice and properly position its cutting knife for knife-sharpening andtape-lifting operations.

In operating the tape cutting device when mounted on a tape roll,lifting of the tape end of the tape roll is effected by forciblyshifting tape-lifting edge portion of cutting knife 11 against such tapeend and, thereafter, the desired length of tape is drawn from the taperoll and, while being applied, severed from such roll by a shorttwisting movement of the hand of the operator holding the tape roll.During this procedure, cutting edge 15; of cutting knife 11 is sharpenedand honed by the outermost tape convolution of the tape roll and thusautomatically conditioned for proper cutting operations. Best cuttingresults are obtained when during cutting operations the pressure ofouter member 5 on the tape to be cut is increased by the manner in whichthe operator holds the tape roll or by rotation of nut member 27 whichcontrols the tension of compression spring 32.

Knife-supporting outer member 5 and cutting knife 11 supported therebyalso permit the slitting of the tape of a tape roll mounting the tapecutting device. Such slitting of tape is effected prior to cuttingoperations and while the operator draws a predetermined length of tapefrom the tape roll by a slitting pin axially shiftably supported inpreferably threaded bores 36, 37 in web portion 8 of member 5 andcutting knife 11, respectively. Slitting pin 35, which when rotated isaxially shifted in said bores to operative or inoperative position,includes a sharply pointed slitting end 38 adapted to effect inoperative position of slitting pin 35 slitting of the tape While beingdrawn from the tape roll.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tape cutting device for use upon a roll of tape wound on a tubularcore comprising an outer member of U-shaped outline adapted to straddlea roll of tape, a cutting knife within said outer member attached to itsweb portion parallel with respect thereto, an inner member adapted toextend within the tubular core of said roll of tape including an arcuateshoe adapted to engage the inner periphery of the tubular core of saidroll of tape, means removably coupling said outer and inner members toeach other, and means yieldingly shifting the arcuate shoe of the innermember toward the web portion of the outer member to yieldingly engagethe cut ting knife of said outer member with the outmost convolution ofsaid roll of tape and the arcuate shoe of said inner member with theinner periphery of the tubular core of the roll of tape.

2. In a tape cutting device for use upon a roll of tape wound on atubular core, a U-shaped member adapted to straddle a roll of tape, ashoe-like member having a shoe portion and a guide rod, said shoe-likemember slidably arranged between the flanges of said U-shaped member anddimensioned to be positioned within the tubular core of such roll oftape for contact with the inner periphery of its tubular core, andcoupling means between said U-shaped member and said shoe-like memher,said coupling means including spring means coupled with said U-shapedmember and the guide rod of said shoe-like member and adapted toyieldingly shift the web portion of the U-shaped member toward theoutmost convolution of the roll of tape and the shoe-like member towardthe inner periphery of the tubular core of such roll of tape.

3. A tape cutting device as described in claim 2, wherein said couplingmeans includes a supporting bracket assembly slidably engaged with theguide rod of the shoe-like member and dimensioned and constructed to beremovably attached to the flange of the U-shaped member, and wherein thespring means embodies a coil spring sleeved upon said guide rod betweenthe shoe portion of the shoe-like member and the supporting bracketassembly engaged therewith.

4. A tape cutting device as described in claim 2, wherein said U-shapedmember has mounted therein in direct contact with its web portion acutting knife, and wherein said U-shaped member and cutting knifeshiftably support slitting means arranged at a right angle to saidU-shaped member and adapted to be selectively shifted to working andrest positions.

5. A tape cutting device comprising a cutting knife supporting outermember of U-shaped form adapted to straddle a roll of tape wound on atubular core, an inner member removably coupled with said outer memberadapted to extend within the tubuiar core of the roll of tape, saidinner member embodying an arcuate shoe slidably and non-rotatablyengaged with the outer member, a guide rod extended from said arcuateshoe, a spring seating member on said guide rod and a compression springsleeved on said guide rod and extending between the outer and innermembers, said spring seating means being adjustably mounted on saidguide rod to permit adjustment of the tension of the compression springfor control of the force shifting the outer member and arcuate shoe intocontact with the outermost convolution of the roll of tape and the innerperiphery of the tubular core of the roll of tape.

6. A tape cutting device as described in claim 5, wherein said innermember is coupled with said outer member by a supporting means embodyinga centrally perforated supporting bracket extending between the flangesof the U-shaped member and removably attached thereto, wherein the guiderod of said arcuate shoe consists of a threaded rod slidably extendedthrough the perforation of the supporting bracket, wherein said threadedrod carries as spring seating means a nut member threadedly engaged withsaid rod, and wherein the compression spring sleeved upon said rod,engages with its opposite ends the supporting bracket and the nut memberto effect by rotation of such nut member shifting of the arcuate shoefor control of the contact pressure of the outer member of the tapecutting device with the outermost convolution of the tape roll and theinner periphery of the tubular core of such tape roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,401,286 Wright May 28, 1946 2,609,877 Hanington Sept. 9, 19522,655,214 Van Cleef Oct. 13, 1953

